outreach
One of the goals of the Midlands Astronomy Club is to help promote Astronomy education and awareness throughout the community. To achieve this goal, members of the club regularly participate in outreach events tailored to the general public as well as local schools and other groups. For a list of upcoming events, please refer to our Calendar of Events.
If you're interested in having MAC participate in your event, please consult our Calendar of Events to verify your date's availability, then contact the Outreach Coordinator.
IMPORTANT When planning your event, keep in mind that date, location, and time of day play a major role in determining what can and cannot be observed. Please read our Observing Event Guidelines for a list of things to consider when scheduling your observing event.
- Is your location suitable for observing?
- For daytime solar observing, any location is suitable as long as the immediate area is free of any obstructions, such as trees, buildings, etc., which may block your view of the sky.
- For night observing, light pollution is the key factor that limits what objects can be observed, including light from the moon!
- Make sure the immediate area is free of any obstructions, such as trees, buildings, etc., which may block your view of the sky.
- If you're near a major city (within 20 miles) and/or you plan to be in an area with several street lights, this will limit you to just bright objects, such as the Moon, planets, and stars.
- If you're near a major city (within 20 miles) and have no lights in the immediate area, some of the brighter nebulae and open star clusters can be seen.
- If you're far from a major city (more than 20 miles) and light sources (dark skies), then fainter objects, such as galaxies, planetary nebulae, globular clusters, and the Milky Way can be observed.
- If you want to observe the fainter objects, pick a night near last quarter or new moon phase as this will ensure that the moon will not be in the sky. Moon light can be just as bad, if not worse, than light pollution!
- What do you want to observe?
- The Sun: The sun can be observed at any time during the day up to about 30 minutes before sunset; however, it is best observed at mid-day when it is highest above the horizon.
- The Moon: The moon is best observed when it is near a first quarter phase -- within three days before and after first quarter. It is NOT ideal to observe when it is full, as the sun is directly overhead on the moon and no shadows will be cast from craters and mountains, not to mention it's overwhelmingly bright. After a full moon, the moon rises too late to be observed. Note: Although the moon can be seen during the day at times, it's best viewed at night.
- Planets: Planets can be observed even under light polluted skies. Because the Earth orbits the sun, different planets are visible at different times of the year. If you would like to know which planets are currently visible or will be visible during your event, just ask us!
- Stars: Bright stars and double stars can be observed easily, even in light polluted areas. There are interesting stars and double stars to observe year-round.
- Deep sky (nebulae, star clusters, galaxies): The darker the skies the better. Most of these objects will require dark skies away from major sources of light pollution and nights when there is no moon in the sky (around last quarter and new moon phases).
- When do you want to have your event?
- The Fall and Spring seasons are usually the best seasons to observe. The temperatures are comfortable day or night, bugs are not too bad, and the atmosphere is fairly stable with moderate to low humidity and generally good seeing conditions.
- The Summer season is usually the worst season to observe. Afternoon clouds and thunderstorms are common, temperatures are generally uncomfortably hot, bugs are abundant, and the atmosphere is fairly unstable with high humidity leading to poor seeing conditions.
- The Winter season has the lowest humidity and many clear evenings with good seeing conditions; however, uncomfortably cold temperatures make outdoor events difficult to enjoy.
- For daytime events, mid-day is best for observing the sun although the sun can be easily observed up to about 30 minutes before sunset depending on obstructions, such as trees, buildings, etc.
- For night events, consider what you want to observe. If you want to observe deep sky objects, make sure you pick a night with no moon in the sky!
- Pick two dates, if possible! The weather often forces observing events to be canceled or rescheduled.
- What can I expect when observing the planets?
- Mercury - Very difficult to observe due to its close proximity to the sun and low altitude on the horizon. Mercury goes through phases similar to the moon.
- Venus - Phases, similar to the moon, can be observed. No surface or cloud features can be seen.
- Mars - Usually appears as a small, pale orange disk. Surface features are not usually visible due to its small size and distance. Surface albedo, canyons, and polar ice caps can be observed in the weeks before and after opposition (next opposition: 4/8/14), which brings Mars to its closest approach to Earth each orbit and it is best observed.
- Jupiter - Excellent to observe. Cloud bands and the Great Red Spot are easily seen, as are the four bright Galilean moons. Occasionally, one of the moons will pass in front of Jupiter and it's shadow can be seen cast into Jupiter's upper atmosphere.
- Saturn - Excellent to observe. Its rings are easily seen and up to five of its brightest moons are usually visible.
- Uranus - Appears as a small, light blue-green disk. No moons or rings can be seen.
- Neptune - Appears as a very small, dark blue disk. No moons or rings can be seen.
Sidewalk Astronomy
Sidewalk Astronomy is a regular public outreach program hosted by MAC. Members of the club will set up several telescopes at various locations throughout the Columbia, SC area to allow passersby to observe the Sun, Moon and any planets that may be visible. Previous locations have included Hunter-Gatherer Brewery and Ale House, Mellow Mushroom in the Vista, Chick-fil-A on Harbison Blvd, and Buffalo Wild Wings on Harbison Blvd. Refer to our Calendar of Events for the next Planets for the People event.
MAC EPIC
The Midland's Astronomy Club Educational Programs and Information Committee (MAC EPIC) was started in 1989 by members particularly interested in sharing their knowledge and love of astronomy with local schools and other groups. When you schedule an event with MAC, members will bring telescopes to your site for night observations. Solar observations can also be arranged upon request.
We are a small club and may not be able to meet all requests. We suggest teachers also check out the Solar System Ambassadors. There are several Ambassadors in SC.
ASTRONOMY DAY
Just like everything else nowadays, Astronomy has its day! Many clubs all across the United States celebrate Astronomy Day sometime in the Spring by holding a special program or observation, and for many years, MAC has participated in Astronomy Day.
A typical setup includes displaying several telescopes, so the public can learn about the different types of scopes. We may also have astrophotographs (taken by members) displayed along with star charts, so folks can see where some of the photographed objects are located in the sky. Members will be on hand throughout the day to answer questions about Astronomy and our club. There will be lots of informative handouts (Buying Your First Telescope, Star Chart/Sky Calendar, catalogs, etc.) as well as some neat demos.
Stay tuned for details for the next Astronomy Day.
Special Observing Events
While we certainly encourage folks to enjoy the night sky any time, there are certain celestial events that are easier seen with a telescope. When those events (eclipses, transits, bright comet, etc.) are visible over SC, MAC will sometimes organize a special public observing event. Details about any special events will be posted on the homepage.
